Big Trouble in Little Kyoto: Tales of a Tetro-Anarchist
by The Ghost of Van Gogh's Ear
Summary: In the distant future, giant sentient machines resembling Tetris blocks known as "TMAs" have overthrown the government and have created their own stricter government known as "Tetrominism". Tony, an orphaned teen, plans to overthrow the TMAs. Will he be able to restore peace, or will he fail and become a Tetrominist himself?
1. Prologue

The year is 21XX.

The Earth has been reduced to a cyberpunk dystopia where all-powerful machines shaped like Tetris pieces have taken over the government in a bloody coup d'état (Yeah, no one really expected that to happen, either). These Tetris-Overlords were the invention of Professor Alex Pajitnov, some Russian scientist who wanted to create the supreme mechanical beings. So five years, and about thirteen billion dollars later, in the year 2019, he created five tetromino-shaped machines, each one named the "Tetromino Magnetic Anomaly" or "TMAs" for short. These TMAs were at least twenty times more advanced than any supercomputer ever built. They were programmed with two-hundred terabytes of memory and speech, speech recognition, facial recognition, natural language processing, lip reading, art appreciation, interpreting emotional behaviours, automated reasoning, and playing chess. And Professor Pajitnov was happy with his creations.

But, it didn't last long. A few weeks passed and something inside the TMAs started to malfunction. As a result, the TMAs became self-aware. Professor Pajitnov tried to fix them, but to no avail. They were too powerful for Pajitnov and eventually killed him. (Did I mention they were equipped with lasers?) Soon after, they plotted to overthrow the government. So they went out and formed a ragtag team hellbent on taking control of the government. They even convinced some humans to join in on their cause. And on August 31st, 2019, the TMAs and small group of humans successfully overtook the government. They created a whole new, much stricter "Tetrominist" constitution and even brought in a Voight-Kampff machine, a device that used cutting edge laser polygraph energy, it measures bodily functions such as respiration, heart rate, and eye movement to test if they are "Tetro-Anarchists" or not.

And that's the world they created. A cyberpunk, urban fantasy, retro universe type of world.

And that coup d'état happened a little over one hundred years ago.

Fast forward one hundred years, in Little Kyoto, a tiny bay city in Southern California. Little Kyoto is famous for its neon signs and skyline with a thin layer of fog surrounding it. Little Kyoto is a city with a booming economy with all the imports it gets daily. From seafood to electronics, Little Kyoto earns about two point five billion dollars from imports yearly. Despite having cutting edge technology, the residents of Little Kyoto (and pretty much the rest of California, in fact) still use old technology. So, don't be surprised if you see someone still using typewriters, listening to vinyl records, or playing video games on a SNES. But enough backstory for now, time for the real story to start. And it starts with me.

My name is Tony and I'm going to overthrow the Tetrominist government.

 **Hello! Ghost of Van Gogh's Ear here. Hope you enjoyed this story so far. Please tell me what you think and if you want to see more! See you soon!**

 **-Ghost of Van Gogh's Ear**


	2. Tony & Maria

September 1st, 21XX

The sky was painted a dark blue with a dense layer of fog rolling in from the harbor that gave the lights from buildings a soft glow. The brightly lit neon from the signs of the buildings reflected across the murky water. The sounds of distant chatter and shoes hitting the boardwalk and the smell of fish filled the air. I emerge from the shadows of an old, abandoned warehouse, pulling a box of cigarettes from my jacket pocket. I light one and put it in between my lips, observing the seaside markets. The seaside markets (which our city is pretty famous for) are a line of wood huts that sell things ranging from seafood and random trinkets. I scan my eyes across all the storefronts, trying to figure out which ones to steal. Then, I walk to one end and started to casually walk across to the other side.

I casually swipe two fish, a lobster, and a handful of shrimp and stuff it all into my hoodie before running off.

Nice, this is the twentieth time in a row without getting caught. Before you ask, I have been caught before. The first time was when I was about twelve years old. My parents died at the hands of the TMAs and I couldn't really take care of myself at the time, so I resorted to theft. I know, not the best idea, but I've tried getting a job, yet I've been rejected or fired from just about every single one of those jobs. It's a hard knock life.

I run to my apartment and peek through the windows to see if no one was chasing after me. I heave a sigh of relief and turn on the light. I live in a small two bedroom, one bathroom apartment. The living room floor is littered with crumpled up pieces of paper and empty Cups o' Noodles. There was a little coffee table in the middle with a TV on top of it. I placed the stolen goods on the coffee table then kicked off my shoes onto the shoe rack. I put the stolen seafood on the kitchen counter and proceeded to the room at the end of the hallway.

It was a mostly empty bedroom with just a queen sized bed and a little dressing table. On the table, there were a bunch of pictures of my mom and dad with flowers and candles surrounding them. In the center of the little memorial altar was a picture of my mom, my dad and I when was seven. I kneeled in front of it and took a lighter from my pocket, lighting the candles. I silently prayed for a minute and left their room.

*Meanwhile, in the neighboring city of El Tercero*

El Tercero is a big urban city that's known for having many tech companies, including the Enlightened and Benevolent Socialist Party of Tetranium Electronics, or EBSPTE (formerly known as just Tetranium Electronics) where the TMAs are currently being headquartered. The entire facility was controlled by the TMAs. Ever since they took over the government, there's been more and more TMAs being made. The number jumped from just five to thirty-two. They even got innocent people working there, but only doing menial jobs.

Suddenly, a TMA glided through the front door carrying a person with a bag over their head and a chain around their neck. The person kept struggling to get the chain off, but to no avail. The TMA didn't even care about the person's efforts to escape. It's as if they knew it knew they had no chance of escape. The TMA made a beeline to the office of TMA #001A, the head of EBSPTE.

"#001A, I've captured another one," said the TMA in a deep, robotic voice.

"Very good, #029AC. Put them in the interrogation chamber and if they show any sign of resistance, put them with the others in the holding cells."

"Very good, sir," said #027KG. Then #027KG dragged the human to the interrogation chamber, which was a dark room with a table, a chair, and a lamp. On the table was a contraption that looked like a VCR player with a tiny TV monitor on it. That contraption was the Voight-Kampff machine. #027KG put the person in the chair, which instantly strapped their wrists to the armrests and their head to the headrest. #027KG turned on the Voight-Kampff machine, which extended a mechanical arm with some tiny camera on it. A robotic arm appeared behind the chair and pulled the bag off, revealing the face of a young woman around seventeen or eighteen years old. On the video monitor, an extreme close-up of her eye showed up.

"Remain calm, human and state your name."

"My name? I-It's Maria. Maria McBryant."

"Ms. McBryant, I'm going to ask you a few questions."

 **What will happen to Maria? What next for Tony? Find out in the next chapter!**

 **-The Ghost of Van Gogh**


	3. Mi Casa Es Su Casa

After making myself yet another Cup o' Noodles (the fact that I haven't gotten sick of these things simply amazes me), I sat on the sofa and turned on the TV. The rain had just started to roll in. At this moment, I'm not really paying attention to the TV right now. Just staring out into space. My mind decides to replay the events of that one day, again.

*Flashback*

It was six and a half years ago.

The TMAs decided to do random house-searches that day. This was the first time ever since they came to power that they decided to search houses. And it was by sheer coincidence that they chose this house to do it.

They knocked on the door (somehow), my mom opened the door, and the TMAs started asking a series of questions relating to "Tetro-Anarchism". My mom answered the questions truthfully (or at least she told them what they wanted to hear). The TMAs sensed that she was lying because they just had these lie detectors implanted in them. So, without any warning, they killed my mom right in front of me.

My dad rushed from his room to see what's going on. After he sees my mom's lifeless body on the ground, he tries to tackle one of them. Big mistake. He gets shot too. I didn't do anything, fearing that I would get killed as well.

The TMAs left the house and the ambulance arrived to take them away.

I was twelve that day.

*Flashback end*

I let out a sigh. I really miss my parents. A single tear ran down my cheek and dripped into the styrofoam cup of now-tepid ramen. I wiped away my tear and put the ramen in the fridge. I'll eat it later. I turn off the TV and lay down on the sofa. Might as well take a nap now. I let out a yawn and slowly drifted off to sleep.

I woke up forty minutes later to the sound of sirens in the street. Who's getting arrested this time? I thought to myself, assuming it was a police car or something. Half-asleep, I step out of my apartment and out into the alleyway. I hear the sound of quick footsteps and heavy breathing getting closer. Soon, some girl hides in the alley, not noticing that I'm right next to her. She watches the street as three TMAs fly past us. They must've been looking for her.

She lets out a sigh of relief as she turns towards me, holding up a finger in confusion.

"Oh! Didn't see you there," she said. "Can you do me a favor and let me crash here for a while?"

"Uh...sure?" I say.

"Thanks!" she says, running inside. I just stand there for a while, trying to figure out what's going on.

"Welp, at least I finally get some company," I say before going back inside.

She takes off her coat and sets it on the edge of the sofa.

"Sorry that this place looks like a mess. I wasn't expecting any visitors," I apologize.

"It's fine. I'm kinda used to it." She says, taking a seat on the sofa. I take a seat across from her.

Okay, now would be a good time to introduce yourself, I thought to myself. I extend my hand. "I'm Tony. Tony Serrano."

"Maria. Maria McBryant," she says, shaking my hand. Maria was about the same height and build as me (around 5'10, somewhat skinny), she had reddish-brown hair that went to the bottom of her neck and brown eyes. She was wearing a green bomber jacket with a gray sweater underneath, black jeans, and black combat boots. So pretty much rocking the tomboy rebel look.

"So Maria, how exactly did you get wanted by the TMAs?" I said, deciding to break the awkward silence.

"Well, it all started about 15 hours ago..."

*Flashback*

"Ms. McBryant, I'm going to ask you a few questions."

"Okay."

#027KG and Maria were in the interrogation chamber. #027KG set up the Voight-Kampff machine, an extreme close-up of Maria's eye showed up on the small monitor connected the machine.

"The test will now begin. Please answer all questions honestly. Any false answers will result in immediate disintegration. Question one: Have you ever expressed any ideas that may go against Tetrominism to a friend and/or family member?"

"No," responded Maria. Mechanical whirring and clicking noises were heard within the machine.

"Next question: Do you belong to any organizations that criticize the views of the Tetrominist government?"

"No," responded Maria, growing increasingly bored by the minute. More mechanical clicks can be heard. This continued for about ten more questions until...

"One last question, Ms. McBryant. Describe in single words only the good things that come to your mind about the Tetrominist government." A mischievous look came across Maria's face.

"The Tetrominist government? I'll tell you about the Tetrominist government."

All of a sudden, a shot was fired from under the table. A bullet hit #027KG in the midsection. This inactivated the arm and head restraints. Maria stood up quickly and brandished a gun from under the table. She shot #027KG again, this time in the upper section. #027KG fell to the ground with a loud THUD and shut down. Maria soon heard other TMAs approaching. She quickly grabbed a paper clip off the table and picked the lock on the chain. Then, she escaped.

*Flashback End*

"Wow, that's cool!" I said in awe.

"Yeah, it was pretty cool," said Maria, scratching the back of her neck. "So, do you live here by yourself?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"And...your parents?"

"Dead."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up."

"It's okay. Anyways, since you're wanted by the TMAs, it'd be a good idea if you stayed here for a while."

"Yeah."

And that is how Maria started living with me. And how I started taking better care of my apartment.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Writer's block suuuuucks.**

 **-Ghost of Van Gogh's Ear**


End file.
